


{Avatar} One Shots and Fics

by jaquelinethegreat



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Angst, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Badass Katara (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Book 1: Water (Avatar), Book 2: Earth (Avatar), Book 3: Fire (Avatar), Crazy Azula (Avatar), Drama & Romance, Earthbending & Earthbenders, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Fic, Firebending & Firebenders, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Korrasami - Freeform, Love, Love Confessions, Love Sick Sokka, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, No Smut, One Shot, Other, Past Relationship(s), Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Pining, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Psychological Trauma, Romance, Unrequited Love, War, Waterbending & Waterbenders, Young Love, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, oops everyone is bi now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27870165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaquelinethegreat/pseuds/jaquelinethegreat
Summary: A collection of x readers, character ships, and AUs from the Avatar Universe!
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bolin (Avatar)/Reader, Korra (Avatar)/Reader, Korra/Asami Sato, Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mako (Avatar)/Reader, Sokka (Avatar)/Reader, Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 48





	1. Requests

**Author's Note:**

> My first Ao3 work and my first Avatar work! Two birds with one stone!

I will take any requests for any characters and any prompts, as long as they don't include abuse, suicide, or self harm. I want my stories to be appropriate for everyone, and I don't want to romanticize any harmful issues like I've seen so many stories do before. If you yourself are struggling with any of these issues, please know that you have my support and I hope your situation gets better soon!

I will also not be taking any requests with smut in them, though there may be some nods or references to it at some point. 

I strive to make all of my reader insert stories gender neutral, so if you want the reader to be a certain gender, please say so in the request! I have no problem at all being specific about it.

I might add on some other rules on as time goes by, but there aren't many things I'm concerned about, so I doubt I'll have to. Thanks for taking the time to read the rules, and I'll be sure to get started writing as soon as possible!

Oh, and I'm looking for an editor that can help me edit the chapters so that they're grammatically correct and have more substance to them. If you're interested, or know someone who might be interested, please let me know!

Thanks, 

Jaqueline


	2. {Sokka} Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka is about to leave for the Boiling Rock, but he has to say goodbye first.

There. Everything he thought he would need was packed up and ready to go. He had the map, some food, and a flask of water, which would be enough to get him through the trip to Boiling Rock. He’d just have to figure it out from there. 

Sokka tied up the sack, throwing it over his shoulder and looking back at the others. Everyone was still asleep, meaning they wouldn’t notice him leave. They had been so exhausted lately, he doubted they would wake up hearing Appa, which meant he could slip away completely unnoticed. They wouldn’t think anything of it and he’d be back in a day or two with his dad.

Unless something went wrong.

Sokka’s confidence faltered for a moment, as his mind drifted to the possibility of nothing working out right. What if he didn’t make it back? How would the others feel, thinking he had just gone fishing and then didn’t return. How would you feel?

He made his way to the room you were staying in, his eyes falling onto your figure. You were fast asleep in your sleeping bag, breathing softly and probably dreaming, completely and totally unaware that he was about to leave on what he knew would be a dangerous mission. The thought of you waiting for him to come back thinking he would only be gone for a few days only for him to never show up again broke his heart. And when he added in Katara doing the same thing and everyone else as well, it only shattered his heart even more.

Sokka sighed. He couldn’t do that to you. You were already so nervous as it was. You had lost your parents in a Fire Nation raid of a small Earth Kingdom city, and when you went through the forest escaping your village, you had lost your brother. When the group had run into you, you were on your own and had a hard time opening up to them. When you finally did, you were always so nervous you were going to lose them, whether it be from their reckless actions, or yours. That’s what made him decide he would tell you and only you about his plan, that and the reassurance that if anything went wrong or something unexpected happened while he was away, you could tell the others, and you could all come up with something to help. He knew you would understand his reasons, as you knew the pain of not knowing whether or not someone you loved was okay, and that wouldn’t stop him, though you would try so hard to convince him to do it himself. He had to do this. He just had to.

He made his way over to you, kneeling down and shaking you gently. You groaned softly, opening your eyes with a confused expression.

“Sokka? What’s going on?”

He shushed you quietly, holding a fingers up to his lips to tell you to be quiet. You blinked, confused and unsure, but obeyed him.

He took a breath, saying your name softly, his tone serious and stern. You immediately looked more concerned, sitting up and giving him a worried, but attentive look.

“I’m going to find my dad,” he finally said, his face showing how serious he was. Your brows furrowed, eyes widening.

“What? Sokka, you don’t-“

Sokka cut you off.

“Zuko said that he is probably in this Fire Nation prison. It’s near here, so I’m going to take Appa and go find my dad.”

Your eyes danced around the room as you processed this, your breath becoming slightly heavier. You placed your hand on his, looking back into his eyes.

“Sokka, I love you, but that sounds incredibly dangerous.”

He nodded solemnly, grabbing your hand and squeezing it lightly.

“It is… but I have to do it.”

Your expression softened, your eyes searching for some sort of clue of what he could possibly be thinking that would make him do this. There were probably dozens of questions racing through your head, and, as if he had been able to read your mind, Sokka began to answer them.

“The Invasion Plan was my plan, and it didn’t work out. Because of my mistakes, my dad is in the hands of the Fire Nation, and I don’t even know if he’s alive. I’ve got to find him. To make up for what I did.”

You wrapped your arms around your stomach, hugging yourself tightly as you processed all of this. Sokka watched you silently; your expression, though solemn and laced with worry, was still unreadable to the boy. He knew this would hurt you. He knew that it would scare you and bring back memories of things you didn’t want to remember.

But it would hurt you more if you didn’t know and he’d never be able come back to tell you.

You let out a shaky breath, finally looking back up at him. Your eyes were slightly welling up with tears, ones that you wiped with the sleeve of your shirt. You hated that he had to do this, but all the same, he had to go. You knew he didn’t stop you when you went looking for your brother after Ba Sing Se, and being able to do that finally gave you closure. How could you rob his chance to find closure for himself? 

You smiled, at least as much as you could.

“I… I believe in you Sokka. Please, please stay safe. And remember to use your head.”

Sokka smiled, pulling you into his chest for a hug. You wrapped your arms around him, tucking your face into his chest in a tight hold. After a good few seconds of embracing, you pulled back slightly to look up at him again, just as he began to speak again.

“I need you to promise me you won’t tell the others. I need to do this on my own, and I don’t want them to be worried. I’m only telling you now because I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something bad happened and you spent the rest of your life thinking I went missing on a fishing trip.”

That last line made you crack a small smile and chuckle, though you almost immediately turned back to serious and concerned.

“I won't tell anyone... if you promise me you’ll come back,” you whispered, gazing directly into his eyes. His expression softened as he cupped the side of your face.

“I promise.”

Sokka then pressed his lips to yours in a short but loving kiss that left you wanting to hold him back, to continue to argue with him about going just to keep him there longer. But you didn’t. 

And when Sokka pulled away and whispered “goodbye,” you didn’t try to stop him. 

No matter how worried you were, you had faith Sokka could take care of himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there is my first one shot! I hope you guys enjoyed this slight angst with Sokka, and if you want more, feel free to request! I'm going to be adding stuff frequently, and I look forward to writing this book!


	3. {Zuko} Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your husband decide to sleep in for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! I got so overwhelmed with ideas after Promise that I kind of got side-tracked. Luckily, though, I managed to whip up this quick and incredibly fluffy Zuko one shot to make up for the lack of updates! I'm currently working on two other Zuko fics at the moment, both much, much longer than this one, so there's something to look forward to! I'll update as soon as I can.
> 
> warning: this is unedited, short and a bit rushed, so there may be a few mistakes here and there. I hope y'all still enjoy!

The only thing warmer than the sunlight that fell on your face as the sun rose was the man lying beside you. He was fast asleep, still as a statue. You’d probably be convinced that he was a statue if it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest and the sound of his breathing. 

This was your favorite part of life in the palace, really. Any other hour of the day, he would have to be the Fire Lord, settling disputes and making decisions, spending every waking moment making sure everything was under control. But here, early in the morning, just after sunrise, when the only person paying attention to him at all was you, he was just Zuko. The same Zuko that fed the turtle-ducks with you every afternoon. The same Zuko that had grown to trust you to the point where he no longer slept on the scarred half of his face in your bed. The same Zuko that had been through so much, yet had still managed to overcome all of the odds set against him. That was the Zuko you loved. That was the Zuko you had fallen for all of those years ago.

And that Zuko was beautiful.

Your hand found itself on the side of his face, gently running your thumb softly over his scar. The skin of the scar was rough and course, yet it had softened more and more over the years, quite like Zuko himself. His breathing hardly faltered when you touched it now. You can remember a time many years ago where it’d take everything in his willpower not to flinch when you tried to touch his scar. You couldn’t emphasize enough how much this growth made your heart soar everytime you noticed it.

Soon, your train of thought was broken by a raspy chuckle, one you recognized immediately as that of your husband’s.

“What are you doing?” Zuko teased. You smiled, leaning in closer and snuggling up to his frame.

“Nothing. Just admiring the most handsome man in the world,” you giggled. He laughed softly, his voice still groggy from sleep, and pulled you close to him.

“Good morning to you, too.” 

Zuko’s eyes never left you. When he wasn’t simply gazing into your eyes, he was admiring some part of your sleepy figure. You were doing the same, unable to get over just how beautiful the man in front of you was.

“How long have you been up?” he asked.

“About ten minutes, maybe. The sun rose before I woke up.”

He closed his eyes, sighing happily. “I don’t think I have anything coming up anytime soon.”

You grinned, resting your forehead against his. “Great, because I really don’t want to have to wait all day to get some alone time with you.”

He hummed. “Same here. I think we both deserve a moment to ourselves.”

“You, more than me, Fire Lord Zuko.” 

You kissed his forehead gently, the hand that was resting on his face going up to run your fingers through his hair. It wasn’t too bad, albeit a bit tangly from sleep, but still soft and clean. And lengthy.

“Your hair has gotten so long,” you whispered, brushing it gently with your fingers.

“Jealous?” he smirked, resting his face in the crook of your neck. You laughed.

“No, but I do like it. You’ve always had great hair.”

He hummed, kissing your neck gently.

“If you keep combing it like that, I’m going to fall asleep again.”

You yawned, closing your eyes as you continued to play with his hair.

“I wouldn’t mind that too bad, actually.”

“If I sleep in, the court might.”

You sighed with a smile, rolling your eyes internally.  
“You’re the Fire Lord, darling. I’m sure they won’t be too harsh about it.”

He mumbled something into your neck, clearly already falling asleep again. You chuckled, kissing the top of his head.

“I’ll take the blame for it if you get in trouble.”

With that, you found yourself drifting off into sleep, the warmth of your husband and the comfort of your bed finally taking you over.


	4. {Zuko} The Boy in the Tea Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're a refugee in Ba Sing Se, living alone and forced to take care of yourself without any assistance. Things begin to change for you when you meet a young man working in a tea shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!! Sorry for such a long delay between updates! I've been really busy with family and school, plus I was struggling with a large bout of depression. This fic probably shows that last part. Anyways, this is going to be Chapter 1 of a new Zuko book I'm starting, depending on whether or not I feel good about a second chapter. This has been up on tumblr for a bit, but hasn't received as good as reception as "Good Morning" did. Anyways, I still hope y'all enjoy this and know I've got a Jet x Reader in the works!

Being a refugee in Ba Sing Se was not easy.

The Dai Li were around every corner, as well as thieves and swindlers, and so many other people around you were struggling to get by. You weren’t allowed to mention the very war that brought you to Ba Sing Se, and as a consequence of that, it was hard to find anyone who might’ve known your family and would be willing to help you out.

Your parents had sacrificed a lot to make sure you got to Ba Sing Se, feeling you’d be much safer there than back home in your small village, one that was right in the path of invading Fire Nation troops. The trip was long and hard, and now that you were there, it didn’t seem very worth it. You had very little money, knew no one, and felt suffocated by the “culture” that was enforced on everyone.

You sighed, closing and locking the door to the pottery shop. You had gotten a job there weeks ago, and though the pay wasn’t a lot, the owner was incredibly kind and you actually enjoyed working there. It paid enough for living expenses and basic necessities, which is what mattered. Today, however, you were given a small bonus, as you had sold a very valuable piece to a very important customer and actually managed to convince them to pre-order two more. Your boss was very impressed and rewarded you with some money to spend on something special.

You didn’t have much in mind. There wasn’t a lot going on in the Lower Ring. The best you could do for now, besides looking around for something to do, was keep your money out of plain sight. There were just too many thieves around this area to risk it.

A short grumble came from your stomach, reminding you that you hadn’t eaten since earlier that morning. There weren’t many good restaurants around here, though, as all of those were up in the Middle Ring. However, all of the monorails were closed and it would be a nightmare to try and walk all the way up there. It seemed that the only option you had for now was a tea shop, as those were more easily accessible in the Lower Ring. One that came to mind was the Pao Family Tea House. You had heard from your employer that they had just recently hired new staff, and that the tea, which was mediocre at best before, was now the best in Ba Sing Se. You were sure that was a stretch, but it couldn’t hurt to try, could it?

You opened the door to the tea shop, looking up at the customers sitting around at each table. Most were guards and workers from around the city, probably because, like you, they were all off from their work shifts. They all seemed to be enjoying the tea they ordered, which gave you a little bit of hope that maybe you hadn’t decided to waste your time and money on something you wouldn’t enjoy. You took a seat at the only empty table left and looked at a small menu that was to the side, trying to pick out something you’d like but also could afford.

Thankfully, everything on the menu was in an affordable range. That came to no surprise, considering the quality and location of the tea house. They only had three different teas you could order and a few snacks you could order as sides. No matter what you ordered, it probably wouldn’t be enough to completely satisfy your hunger. You probably had something else back at the apartment, though. You’d worry about it when you got there.

The most appealing thing on the menu to you at that moment was the jasmine tea. Jasmine tea wasn’t something you had very often. Your mother only made it on special occasions, as it was hard to get jasmine tea leaves where you lived. Of course, being a large city, Ba Sing Se had plenty of it, meaning that what used to be a delicacy to you could now be found everywhere. Still, you limited yourself to only having it once in a while, that way it still felt rewarding whenever you ordered it. Along with the tea, you picked out the largest snack they had: a plate of cakes, just to make sure you wouldn’t be starving later.

You put the menu to the side, looking up to see a waiter walking towards your table.

A cute waiter. 

A cute waiter your age. 

He was tall; that was the first thing you noticed about him. The second was his scar. He had a scar that covered his right eye, one that was clearly caused by a burn of some kind. It wasn’t pleasant (in your eyes, no scars were), but it didn’t mean you found it ugly. Everyone in the Lower Ring had scars of some kind, some visible and some not. It wasn’t any of your business to judge him by that. 

The third thing you noticed were his eyes. They were what you could only describe as a mix of brown and amber, something you couldn’t say you had ever seen before. 

You felt yourself beginning to blush a bit, knowing you did not look your absolute best from having to work all day. It didn’t help that you probably had bags under your eyes. You didn’t exactly live in the safest part of town, and more often than not you found yourself lying awake, paranoid about what might happen if you dozed off for even a second. If it wasn’t paranoia, it was the vivid nightmares that had plagued your mind about the Fire Nation ever since you left home. 

The boy stopped in front of your table, pulling out a pen and notepad from his apron pocket. “Hello, welcome to the Pao Family Tea House. What would you like?” His voice was hoarse and raspy. You could hear a mix of boredom and weariness ring through his words. It was something you heard in your own words all the time, especially at work. You managed a small smile and looked at the menu to refresh your mind of your order.

“Can I get a cup of jasmine tea and a small plate of cakes?” you asked, looking up at him. He looked down at you and paused for a moment, seeming to examine you just for a short second before nodding. He walked back to the counter, placing the order in front of an older man who was holding a teapot and chatting with whom you could only assume was the manager.

You sighed, looking back down at the table in thought. The waiter was intriguing, but you didn’t have the confidence to push past just ordering food. You didn’t know him and he didn’t know you. There was no point in trying to become anything more than strangers.

Then again, it couldn’t hurt to be friendly.

You soon saw the waiter walking back to your table, a cup of tea on his tray. He placed it down on your table, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Thank you,” you said, lifting the cup and breathing in the steam that came from the tea. It smelled delicious, which isn’t something you could normally say about tea in the Lower Ring. You smiled up at him. “Did you make the tea yourself?”

The waiter looked unsure of what to say. Either what you had just said was incredibly stupid or you were one of the first customers to say anything to him, and for your dignity’s sake, you hoped it was the latter.

“Um, no. My uncle made it.”

You looked over his shoulder, spotting a surprisingly recognizable older man with a teapot in his hands, chatting with one of the guards as he served their tea. 

“Is he your uncle?” you asked, nodding to the man. The waiter looked over and nodded. You chuckled, recalling your encounter with the man.

“I recognize him, actually. He came into the shop I work at a few weeks ago and bought a vase.”

The waiter looked back at you, a slightly curious look coming across his features. You went on, smiling softly.

“He was very friendly. He flirted with my boss a bit, and even managed to leave a tip, despite mentioning he was a refugee.”

The waiter huffed a bit, his eyes trailing to the floor. “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

It was silent for a moment, as you studied the features of the waiter some more. It occured to you that since his uncle was a refugee, that probably meant the boy was, and he didn’t seem to be all that proud of it. You couldn’t blame him. The Lower Ring was not a place you were fond of either, and the title “refugee” didn’t warrant many perks around here.

“I’m actually a refugee, too.” You said. The boy looked back up at you, his expression unreadable yet again. You looked down into your tea. “I came to Ba Sing Se a few months ago. Can’t say I’ve enjoyed it much, but it’s not all that bad.”

It was silent for a bit. The longer the silence stretched on, the less and less you wanted to make eye contact again. This was incredibly awkward. You found this to be the perfect time to take a sip of your tea, hoping it would act as an excuse as to why you weren’t talking

“What’s your name?” you asked, looking up at him again. A soft smile graced your features, the slightest hint of curiosity stirring in your eyes. 

He took a moment to zone back in before speaking. “Lee. My uncle’s name is Mushi.”

You grinned, giving him yours. “It’s nice to meet you, Lee. Please give my compliments to your uncle, by the way. I’m sure you two get this a lot, but this tea is the best I’ve had in years.”

“Yeah, we do,” he said, rather bluntly at first. You were worried you might have annoyed him for a second, but instead, he smiled. “I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

Speaking of the man, Mushi was just beside the table, a plate of cakes in his hand. 

“Tell me what?” he asked, a smile 

You looked over at his uncle, giving him a bright smile.

“Just how delicious this tea is,” you mused. “I think it might genuinely be the best in Ba Sing Se.”

“Well,” Mushi beamed, placing the plate on the table. “The secret ingredient is love.” He sent a knowing look to Lee, who scrunched up his face at his uncle’s comments. Mushi chuckled, walking to another table to check on one of the customers. Lee sighed, whether in exasperation or relief you couldn’t tell He looked towards you again.

“I probably need to get back to work.”

You nodded. “I understand. Thank you for the tea.”

Lee turned away, going to the back of the shop to clear some tables. Your eyes followed him along the way. You hoped you left the right impression. He didn’t seem to be completely annoyed by you and you were sure his uncle liked you. That’s a start. 

You let your thoughts drift away, still looking over at him, only to snap back when he looked up at you and made eye contact. . His cheeks became just the faintest shade of pink, and he immediately looked back down. You did the same, your cheeks becoming warm as you smiled. That blush had to mean something good.

For a moment, things in the tea shop were peaceful. You were enjoying yourself, feeling confident in what you chose to spend your bonus on. Lee had a subtle smile on his face, clearing off a now empty table. Mushi was chatting up the customers, discussing tea and using his charm up on the locals. Everything was fine, at least as fine as it could be.

And then the door slammed open.

“I’m tired of waiting!” 

All eyes in the room were now locked on the newcomer, the one who shouted; he was another boy your age, but he seemed to be the polar opposite to Lee. His skin was darker and much more tan, with his hair long and scruffy. He didn’t seem happy to be there. He lifted his hand, pointing all the way to the back of the shop at Lee and Mushi, who both looked very confused.

“These two men are firebenders!”

The stranger unsheathed two swords from his sides, stepping forward in a fighting stance. You immediately stood up from your table, spilling the cup of tea over, and cowered into the wall, wanting to keep a safe distance between you and the boy. The other patrons stood as well. In the other corner of the room, a man held his arms up in front of his date, guarding her just in case anything went south. Two men that had been visiting were now looking at the man with wide eyes and worried faces. 

The air around you became tense, fear and confusion clouding your head. Your eyes went back to the men in question. They both looked at each other; they both looked just as confused, their eyes raised in shock. Did they even know this man?

Your left hand drifted to your side, wondering if you had remembered to bring a dagger with you. Unfortunately, like almost every day, you had forgotten. If you made it out of this unscathed, you’d never make that mistake again.

All was silent. Everyone was probably thinking the same things you were. Who was this man? Why did he think Lee and Mushi were firebenders? How am I going to leave if he’s blocking the only exit? Your attention was locked on him, waiting to see what his next move was. 

The stranger at the door began to speak again.

“I know they’re firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!”

Your brow quirked slightly at that. This was a tea shop. Of course he would be heating some tea.

Apparently you weren’t the only one that thought this, as one of the guards responded making the same point.

The boy looked at the guard. “He’s a firebender, I’m telling you!”

His swords swung up fast, causing you to flinch slightly. The room was getting nervous, and the two guards at the table stood.

“Put your swords down, boy. Nice and easy.”

The man ignored them, turning back to Lee and Mushi, holding up his swords in an “X” shape. He slowly began to approach, speaking with a shake in his voice. “You’ll have to defend yourselves… then everyone will know.”

You weren’t liking the way this was going. The guards didn’t cause the boy to back down at all, only seeming to provoke him even further. 

It occurred to you that you could just leave now. He was no longer blocking the door, and it wouldn’t take much effort to just slip away into the night. But you couldn’t. You weren’t sure why, but you couldn’t. Maybe you were curious to see how it all played out. Maybe you were just too scared to try and make a move like that yet. Maybe you were just worried about everyone else’s safety.  
You couldn’t tell and it wasn’t that important anyways. You weren’t going anywhere.

“Go ahead,” the boy with swords began to taunt, looking directly at the two of them. “Show them what you can do.”

It was a dare. A jab at their pride. You could tell by the mocking tone that laced the boy’s words. He was confident they were going to use their bending, so confident that it bordered on cocky. By now, he had gotten so close to the two, that the guard began to unsheathe his own swords. Things were going to get ugly. Maybe now was a good time to reconsider that running option. 

You heard other footsteps, your train of thought breaking as you realized Lee was stepping forward, a glare on his face.

“You want a show?” he asked, unsheathing the guard’s swords for himself. “I’ll give you a show!”

He pulled the swords apart from each other, entering a fighting stance that didn’t look like anything a tea shop worker would know. His leg stuck out to the side, hooking on the leg of a table and pulling it in front of him. He kicked it, sending it flying towards the stranger. 

The stranger didn’t hesitate, flipping over it and slicing it so hard that the table sliced in half, with stray pieces of wood flying across the room. You felt a chunk of wood smack you in the face, slicing your cheek as you winced. You cupped it, feeling blood begin to warm your fingers as it dripped from the cut. 

The clashing of swords diverted your attention back to the fight. Lee expertly avoided the boy’s attack, jumping onto the table previously occupied by the guards. Before he could counter his next move, though, the boy sliced through that table too, the wood once again cutting perfectly in half. Lee stumbled, the boy cutting away at each side even more, aiming at his legs. Lee jumped expertly in the air, dodging the boy’s attacks.

You had made very few assumptions about Lee and already felt you had severely underestimated him.

In a quick blur of a moment, the boy had somehow managed to kick Lee back so hard that it broke down the door. You and the rest of the people inside the tea shop rushed to the front, trying to see how things were escalating. Mushi was at the door, most likely worried about the safety of his nephew as the fight stretched on.

The stranger was gaining a slight upper hand, taking advantage of Lee’s disoriented state after having smashed through the door. He swung down at him, his hooks being blocked last minute by Lee’s blades.

The stranger had a grin on his face. “You must be getting tired of using those swords.” He tilted his head, continuing with, “why don’t you go ahead and firebend at me?”

Once again, he was trying to provoke some kind of action out of Lee, trying to exhaust his efforts so that he’d be theoretically forced to firebend at him. It was crazy.

The fight went on, Lee retaliating as best he could. Mushi called out, addressing the stranger, “Please, son, you’re confused! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

His pleas were ignored, the fight continuing with even more vigor. They backed down the street, getting closer and closer to a large square surrounding a well. Mushi began to walk out of the doorway, following the two men as they fought. The rest of the patrons weren’t far behind, some worrying for the safety of the two and others, such as the guards, keeping an eye out for when they’d need to intervene. Your eyes were still glued on Lee, your feet unconsciously moving you along towards him. The strange boy began to taunt Lee once more, this time bringing Mushi into the mix.

“Bet you wish he helped you out with a little fire blast right now!” 

He hooked one of his swords on the other, spinning and swinging the swords around like whips. Lee backed away, slamming one of his own swords through the handle of the stranger’s.

“You’re the one who needs help!” Lee yelled, pulling back his swords in a defensive position as the boy recovered, about the swing again. Lee was one step ahead, swinging at the young man’s neck. The young man threw his head back, the sword swiping just above his head, so quick and so clean that a blue streak sparked as it sliced the grass he held between his teeth.

The boy arched forward, flipping back and landing on the edge of the well. He called out to the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight progress.

“You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me!” He looked around at the crowd, the people all staring up at him in confusion. He then turned back to Lee, his eyes narrowing into a glare. “It’ll never happen.”

He reached back and hooked his sword on the wooden bar, swinging back and jumping forward at Lee.   
You weren’t sure how much more of this you could take. Neither Lee nor the stranger seemed tired out enough to give the other a good chance at victory, and nobody, not even the guards, was attempting to interfere. Your cheek was beginning to really bother you and you knew that if you didn’t get home soon, you’d most likely wake up late for work tomorrow. 

“Mushi, is Lee going to be alright?” you asked, your hands holding your sides. Mushi looked back at you and gave you a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure my nephew will be alright.” He turned back to the fight, his smile faltering a bit. “It’s the other young man that I’m worried about. Lee is not one to back down easily.” 

You looked up at Lee again, watching him strategically block each attack made by the stranger. You huffed, beginning to back away, until you saw the crowd to begin to disperse.

“Drop your weapons!” a stern voice called out.  
.  
The Dai Li had finally made their appearance.

The boys slow down their fighting, backing away from each other. Neither of them took their eyes off the other, swords still held out defensively, just in case anything else escalated. The stranger spoke first.

“Arrest them!” he called out. “They’re firebenders.”

Mushi was quick to respond, his voice relaxed as he said, “this poor boy is confused. We’re just simple refugees.”

You looked one of the Dai Li agents in the eye and nodded, hoping it would help to have someone agree. Others apparently had the same idea, as the manager came to their defense as well.

“This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees!” He pointed over at you, more specifically the cut on your cheek. “He even injured one of my customers!”

The guards that Lee got his swords from nodded. “It’s true, sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest teamaker in the city.”

Mushi awed, blushing.

“That’s very sweet.”

The Dai Li agents walked up to the stranger, one on each side of him. 

“Come with us son.”

The boy gritted his teeth, quickly swinging the sword in his right hand behind him to strike the Dai Li, only for it to land right in the palm of one. The agent twisted his arm back, the other helping to restrain him with their gloves made of Earth. Once they were sure he was unable to break free, they began to drag him back, the crowd dispersing and revealing a detainment cart. You couldn’t help but feel bad for the young man. You hadn’t ever heard anything good about the Dai Li. People who were taken into their custody either never came back or never came back the same. It was why you wanted to avoid them as much as possible, as detainment rates were especially high among refugees, at least from what you had heard.

You watched as the boy looked around desperately. “You don’t understand, they’re Fire Nation! You have to believe me!”

The crowd and you could only watch in silence as he was pulled into the cart, the back doors shutting on him. By now, most of the crowd was dispersing, none paying any particular attention to the boy anymore. You squeezed your sides, frowning, wondering what would come of the boy. 

Mushi sighed, shaking his head and turning towards you. “Are you alright, Miss?

You glanced up, giving him a soft smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Do you remember how much my order was?”

“Please,” you heard behind you. You looked over your shoulder to see the manager of the tea shop there, smiling sympathetically. “The tea is free of charge. Consider it an apology for all of the ruckus.”

You shook your head, blushing slightly. “Thank you, that’s very kind, but tables are not cheap to replace.” You pulled out half of the cash you had brought that night and handed it to him with a smile. “If you need to replace any of your dishes, feel free to visit Miss Kang’s Pottery Shop. I can make sure you recievereceive a discount.”

He nodded and wished you a good night, walking into the shop to inspect the damage. Mushi followed, leaving you by yourself. Well, not completely anyway.

You looked back at where Lee had been fighting, watching Lee hand back the swords to the guards he had taken them from.

“You’ve got some serious skill, son. You should consider applying to the police academy, you could seriously make a difference.”

Lee didn’t go as far as to smile, but he did nod and give a small thank you. The guards waved goodbye, and Lee began to walk back to the shop, his mind clearly somewhere else. You watched him come up to you, deciding to talk to him again. 

“Are you alright? That fight was… pretty intense.”

He began to focus again, looking at you. “I’m alright, just a little worn out.”

You smiled, a wave of relief washing over you. “That’s good.”

He nodded. “Actually, you seem like you got more hurt than I did. Is that cut okay?”

You blushed, placing a hand over your cheek, feeling the dry blood that had stuck to your face. “Yeah. It stings a bit, but I’ve got some stuff at home shouldhome that should help.”

“That’s… that’s good,” he said a bit awkwardly. You chuckled softly, walking over to his side so you could go inside with him. 

When you got inside, the manager and Mushi immediately stopped the two of you.

“Hold on you two,” the manager began. 

“Young lady, considering all of the ruckus that has taken place tonight, I was wondering if you’d mind letting Lee escort you home,” Mushi asked, a considerate look on his face.

Your eyes widened, your jaw dropping slightly as you began to blush. You didn’t want to force Lee into any kind of position like that, especially since you had literally met less than an hour ago.

“W-well I… I’m not sure if that would be necessary, sir, especially since you might need Lee to help clean up the shop,” you stammered, looking over at Lee who was equally confused and uncertain about this.

“No, no, I insist. Lee would have no problem walking such a kind girl to her home, especially after the night being so inconveniencing for you.”

Yoou literally got scratched on the face, why was everyone acting like you had lost a limb?

A pink flush came over Lee’s face, his eyes looking anywhere but you as the manager and Mushi began to corner you both to the door.

“Please be careful, but be sure to take your time! The night is beautiful, no need to waste it!” 

And with that, you both were shoved onto the path outside of the shop, the once busy street now completely empty except for the two of you. Your face was hot and red, unable to look up from your feet below you. Lee was looking to the side, from what you could tell, and you had no idea what he was thinking. He was probably annoyed, angry even that he was now stuck with you. First, the crazy kid accused him of being a fire bender of all things and now his uncle and boss were making him babysit you.

He wasn’t looking at you, and he wasn’t moving either. Maybe you could just book it, give him an excuse to go back in and never go to the shop again. Maybe you could just disappear and he wouldn’t make you out to be a burden. Maybe you could just apologize and leave, then go home and forget this whole night had never happened. Perhaps that would be best.

A sigh leaving your companion’s lips quickly made that decision for you, though.

“So… where do you live?” 

~

It had gotten really late. Most of the city was already asleep, with their lights off and windows shut. If it weren’t for the stars that hung up above, you probably wouldn't be able to see the path in front of you. You and Lee had been walking for quite some time now, not a word passing between the two of you. You took a breath, deciding that it was time you said something.

“You were very impressive in that fight back there.”

His eyes widened a bit as he looked over at you, probably surprised you had said something.

“Oh, um… thanks.”

“Where did you learn to do all of that?” 

He shrugged. 

““I’ve picked up a few things from my uncle.”

You smiled.

“Was he a guard where you used to live?”

He was silent for a moment, his eyes lost in thought. 

“Sort of.”

You looked back down at the ground, not knowing where to take the conversation from there.

You sighed, your cheerful demeanor sinking. You stopped walking, holding your forehead with your hand and taking in a deep breath. Lee took a few more steps before he realized you had stopped. He turned towards you, his brow furrowing in confusion.

You looked up at him with tired eyes and began to speak. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be bothering you so much. I haven’t had anyone to talk to for a while now, I guess I just got a bit ahead of myself.”

He took a minute to think before responding. “Do you not live with anyone?”

You shook your head, frowning slightly. “No. My family sent me away from our village by myself. It was urgent and they didn’t have enough money for all of us to come to Ba Sing Se.”

You blinked, looking at the path in front of you with a blank stare.

“I haven’t heard from them in months. I don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

You closed your eyes and took a deep, painful breath, beginning to walk again.

“Thank you for walking me this far. I can get home just fine from here.”

It was a moment before you heard his footsteps begin to pick up again behind you. Your face contorted into one of confusion, as suddenly Lee was by your side again. You opened your mouth to speak again, about to insist that he didn’t need to walk with you, but he beat you to it.

“I’m sorry,” he began, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not very good with people.”

You hummed, a small smile returning to your lips.  
“It’s alright. I’m not exactly a people person, either. I shouldn’t have been so pushy with you in the first place.”

“You weren’t that pushy. At least compared to some people I’ve met.”

You chuckled, feeling a little less nervous being around him.

“Thank you. I’m glad I don’t come across that way,” you mused.

He nodded, and for the next few minutes, you both walked together in silence, with you guiding him down the paths you needed to take home and him being vigilant for any crooks that might’ve been hiding out somewhere. After a while, he brought up conversation again.

“How old are you, exactly?”

You shrugged. “I’m about fifteen. You?”

“Sixteen.”

“You look like you’d be older,” you said, though it came out the wrong way you meant it to. “Not in, like, a bad way, though! Like you just seem more mature, I guess.”

“Um, yeah, I could say the same about you.”

Right, you still looked exhausted. You sighed, reaching up to rub the back of your neck.

“Yeah, I don’t exactly look all that youthful right now. I haven’t slept much lately and work has just been really difficult.”

His eyes widened as he began to stammer. “No, not like I think you look old or anything, you look plenty young! It’s just, you look like you could be sixteen or seventeen.”

You gave him a thankful smile, though it wasn’t all that genuine. “Thank you, but I’d have to disagree.”

He looked away from you, unsure of what to say next. You didn’t quite know what to say either, so you changed the subject.

“Hey, I’m sorry if this question bothers you, but did you know that young man that attacked you in the tea shop?”

“Why do you ask?”

You shrugged, feeling a bit stupid for asking. “Well, I don’t know. He just seemed to have recognized you from somewhere else.”

Lee sighed, fiddling with the string on his apron absentmindedly.

“Yeah. We came to Ba Sing Se on the same ferry. He told me about how the Fire Nation killed his parents and such. Then he saw my uncle buy a cup of tea from a vendor and I guess he just thought he firebended somehow.”

You frowned, feeling just a little bit bad about what happened to the boy.

“No wonder he was so dead set on attacking you. He’s probably traumatized.”

He huffed. “Yeah. Probably.”

Your mind kept going back to the young man being dragged back and thrown into the cart with the Dai Li, a knot beginning to form in your stomach. It didn’t seem like Lee knew the gravity of being put into the custody of the Dai Li and just how terrifying of a sentiment it was to you.

“I don’t take it you know much about the Dai Li, do you?” you asked, cautiously, as if anybody could be listening to you right now, as they actually very well could.

He looked over at you with narrowed eyes.

“My uncle has told me enough that I know not to mention the war, but other than that, I can’t say I do.”

You sighed, looking around you for any places someone could be hiding or listening.

“Whenever someone is taken by the Dai Li, they either don’t come back or they don’t come back the same. There have been cases where men who were in the Dai Li’s possession were released with no idea who their own families were. It’s really unsettling and it’s one of those things I hate about being a refugee here.”

He nodded. “I can see why. I don’t understand what the Earth Kingdom would have to gain from banning the mention of the war, though.”

“Neither do I, but it happens nonetheless.”

The conversation could’ve gone on for hours at that point, but by now, you had finally reached your quaint, little apartment. You stopped at the door and turned to him fully, folding your hands together and smiling. 

“Well,” you said quietly, looking up at him with tired eyes. “Thank you for walking me home, Lee. It was really nice meeting you.”

He nodded. “It was nice meeting you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t give the best first impression.”

You giggled quietly, shaking your head. “It’s okay. I’m definitely going to be visiting the tea shop again soon, so I wouldn’t say you left a horrible impression on me.”  
“I’m sure my uncle will be happy to hear that.”

you smiled, taking your key out of your pocket and unlocking your door. Lee took that as his cue to leave, turning away from you and beginning to walk down the road you both took. You opened your door just a little bit, glancing over your shoulder back at Lee. You puffed your cheeks out a bit as you left the door ajar, walking over to him and calling out his name.

He turned back to face you, his face blushing a soft pink when he realized how close you were. With that, you planted a soft kiss on his cheek, whispering a meek “goodbye” before running back into your house.

You slammed the door, your face hot and bright red as butterflies soared around your chest. You groaned, sliding down the door and hiding your face in your hands. You couldn’t tell if you felt more euphoric or embarrassed. Whatever, it didn’t matter right now. You’d leave the shame and embarrassment to your future self, as right now, you were exhausted and needed to go to bed.

What a way to end the day.


End file.
